If you're going to be working in a new position or for a new company, you might be concerned about the time and energy required to adapt to a new working environment. (When I recently began a new position, I certainly was!) New workplaces have particular cultural standards, from their regular etiquette to their dress code. Also, it takes time to understand how typical processes run and how the systems function there. Starting a new job usually requires learning the ins and outs of confusing new software, and even a simple thing like finding a pack of copy paper can be challenging on the first day.
Some aspects of Korean culture seem to make the transition much tougher. When we were children, my generation was taught to obey our teachers and elders. We learned a relatively strict age and social hierarchy. Objecting to someone who entered an organization or came into the world far before you did can brand you as a rude and discourteous person. At work, a boss often gives you a command, rather than a suggestion or direction. Questioning that command is rarely, if ever, acceptable. Some bosses don't even allow employees to ask a simple question. It can be a big problem because if you move to a new company, you may have a lot of questions, and some of them can only be answered by your boss.
Most new employees in Korean companies put themselves in fly-on-the-wall mode for a while. They listen more and ask less. When they face an unsolvable problem, they are encouraged to ask someone barely senior to them (선배, seonbae), who entered the company a year ago, or two at most. The sad truth is that a seonbae often doesn't have the correct information because they also learned from mere observations. This situation is likely to create a vicious cycle. Because new employees have no source of experienced mentorship, every new employee takes an unnecessarily long time to find their footing with their new tasks each year. With better mentors, new employees would be able to hit the ground running much more quickly.
Recently, I started a new position in a new hospital. To make a good impression, I was determined to observe more and ask less in the transition period. I even visited the hospital twice before my official start day to observe things ahead of time. I used my free time to play around with the software in the system and familiarize myself with the processes I would need on the job.
Even though I tried my best to be prepared, the first day was horrible. I felt frustrated because I couldn't even do the simplest thing correctly on the first try. To make matters worse, I couldn't park my car in the hospital's parking garage, and my ID didn't work in the system. There must've been some mistakes in the registration process.
The good thing is that everyone in my team turned out to be so supportive. They are so nice and eager to help that even a slacker would fit in easily. I'm blessed! My work speed isn't quite up to par yet, but I'm gradually settling into a comfortable routine at my new job, thanks to the bosses' and coworkers' guidance. However, I'm trying not to be complacent and lazy. I made a few promises to myself.
1. Keep your chin up and endure the change with a positive attitude.
2. Don't ask a simple question repeatedly. Ask smart questions instead.
3. Don't make any lame excuses. Let your work speak for itself.
4. Always accept happy hour invitations.
5. Be willing to extend a hand to coworkers.
I think having this mindset is a way to repay the kindness that I was given and to be a good team member. Hopefully, it will help our team achieve our bigger goals.
Some aspects of Korean culture seem to make the transition much tougher. When we were children, my generation was taught to obey our teachers and elders. We learned a relatively strict age and social hierarchy. Objecting to someone who entered an organization or came into the world far before you did can brand you as a rude and discourteous person. At work, a boss often gives you a command, rather than a suggestion or direction. Questioning that command is rarely, if ever, acceptable. Some bosses don't even allow employees to ask a simple question. It can be a big problem because if you move to a new company, you may have a lot of questions, and some of them can only be answered by your boss.
Most new employees in Korean companies put themselves in fly-on-the-wall mode for a while. They listen more and ask less. When they face an unsolvable problem, they are encouraged to ask someone barely senior to them (선배, seonbae), who entered the company a year ago, or two at most. The sad truth is that a seonbae often doesn't have the correct information because they also learned from mere observations. This situation is likely to create a vicious cycle. Because new employees have no source of experienced mentorship, every new employee takes an unnecessarily long time to find their footing with their new tasks each year. With better mentors, new employees would be able to hit the ground running much more quickly.
Recently, I started a new position in a new hospital. To make a good impression, I was determined to observe more and ask less in the transition period. I even visited the hospital twice before my official start day to observe things ahead of time. I used my free time to play around with the software in the system and familiarize myself with the processes I would need on the job.
Even though I tried my best to be prepared, the first day was horrible. I felt frustrated because I couldn't even do the simplest thing correctly on the first try. To make matters worse, I couldn't park my car in the hospital's parking garage, and my ID didn't work in the system. There must've been some mistakes in the registration process.
The good thing is that everyone in my team turned out to be so supportive. They are so nice and eager to help that even a slacker would fit in easily. I'm blessed! My work speed isn't quite up to par yet, but I'm gradually settling into a comfortable routine at my new job, thanks to the bosses' and coworkers' guidance. However, I'm trying not to be complacent and lazy. I made a few promises to myself.
1. Keep your chin up and endure the change with a positive attitude.
2. Don't ask a simple question repeatedly. Ask smart questions instead.
3. Don't make any lame excuses. Let your work speak for itself.
4. Always accept happy hour invitations.
5. Be willing to extend a hand to coworkers.
I think having this mindset is a way to repay the kindness that I was given and to be a good team member. Hopefully, it will help our team achieve our bigger goals.
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